-i is a buzzed continuation of the consonant following z-, c-, s-, zh-, ch-, sh- or r-.

(In all other cases, -i has the sound of bee; this is listed below.)

a

[a]

a

if ending a syllable, then as in "father"

e

[ɤ]

e

when occurring at the end of a syllable and not in the combinations of ie, üe, ue, then a backward, unrounded vowel, which can be formed by first pronouncing a plain continental "o" (AuE and NZE law) and then spreading the lips without changing the position of the tongue. That same sound is also similar to English "duh", but not as open.

ai

[ai̯]

ai

like English "eye", but a bit lighter

ei

[ei̯]

ei

as in "hey"

ao

[au̯]

ao

approximately as in "cow"; the a is much more audible than the o

ou

[ou̯]

ou

as in "so", "dough"

an

[an]

an

starts with plain continental "a" (AuE and NZE bud) and ends with "n"; as in "stun", "fun"

en

[ən]

en

as in "taken"

ang

[aŋ]

ang

as in German Angst, including the English loan word angst (starts with the vowel sound in father and ends in the velar nasal; as in "flung", "dung", "young";like song in American English)

eng

[əŋ]

eng

like e in en above but with ng added to it at the back

ong

[ʊŋ]

(n/a)

starts with the vowel sound in book and ends with the velar nasal sound in sing

er

[aɚ̯]

er

like ar (exists only on own, or as last part of final in combination with others- see bottom of list)

i

[i]

yi

like English "ee", except when preceded by "c", "ch", "r", "s", "sh", "z" or "zh"

ia

[i̯a]

ya

as i + a; like English "yard" or the name "iago"

ie

[i̯e]

ye

as i + ê; but is very short; e (pronounced like ê) is pronounced longer and carries the main stress (similar to the initial sound ye in yet)

iao

[i̯au̯]

yao

as i + ao

iu

[i̯ou̯]

you

as i + ou

ian

[i̯ɛn]

yan

as i + ê + n; like English yen

in

[in]

yin

as i + en; as in the English word "in";

iang

[i̯aŋ]

yang

as i + ang

ing

[iŋ]

ying

as i + ng

iong

[i̯ʊŋ]

yong

as i + ong;

u

[u]

wu

like English "oo", except in xu and yu, where it is pronounced as u

ua

[u̯a]

wa

as u + a

uo, o

[u̯o]

wo

as u + o (as o after initials b, p, m and f); the o is pronounced shorter and lighter than in the o final

uai

[u̯ai̯]

wai

as u + ai

ui

[u̯ei̯]

wei

as u + ei; here, the i is pronounced like ei

uan

[u̯an]

wan

as u + an

un

[u̯ən]

wen

as u + en; like the on in the English won

uang

[u̯aŋ]

wang

as u + ang; like the ang in English angst or anger

(n/a)

[u̯əŋ]

weng

as u + eng

ü

[y]

yu

as in German "üben" or French "lune" (To get this sound, say "ee" with rounded lips)